“I still don’t agree with the whole ‘we’re equal’ thing, but just… try not to get hurt.”
Baek Yeon-woo’s expression was shadowed, as if deep in thought. As he began cleaning up—signaling the end of today’s training—Kwon Ho-eun helped return the scattered weapons to the display rack.
“I’ll upload today’s weapon test report later, so think about which ones suited you best.”
“Okay.”
“…What’s with that face? Got something to say?”
Usually, Ho-eun would’ve clocked out the second they were done. Instead, he lingered in front of Baek Yeon-woo.
“…Assistant Manager, what do Espers mean to you?”
Ho-eun had been debating whether to ask. But in the end, he summoned up the courage. He couldn’t stop thinking about that shadow that crossed Baek Yeon-woo’s face. It didn’t seem like the face of someone who hated Espers—more like someone who had been hurt by them.
“To me, Espers are the kind of people who get happier the more miserable I am.”
“……”
“They’re the ones I wish would suffer just as much—if not more—than I do. That’s why watching Team Lead Nam Woon-soo tag along with them is quite a sight. He looks like he’s carrying every misfortune in the world.”
“…Ah.”
The corner of his lips tugged upward in a crooked smile, but his eyes remained dead cold. Just as Ho-eun tried to lighten the mood with small talk, Baek Yeon-woo slowly stepped closer.
“Get your head on straight. Don’t get confused. What they want isn’t you. It’s the guiding that flows somewhere inside your body.”
“……”
“They don’t need us if we’re not Guides.”
A chill wind swept past Ho-eun’s body from an unseen direction.
“I’m telling you this because too many Guides figure it out too late and end up suffering for it.”
“There are many?”
“Yeah. A lot of new Guides fall for Espers without knowing better. People call them face-blind fools.”
Ho-eun clutched his chest. The term face-blind fool hit home. Let’s be honest—if an Esper with celebrity-tier looks whispered sweetly, “I need you. You’re the only one keeping me alive,” how many Guides wouldn’t fall for it?
“There are even Espers who target new Guides on purpose.”
“…New Guides?”
“Yeah. During the intern period, you do practice guiding, right? They use that as an excuse to get close, then toy with you. Nothing happened to you?”
“Well… we didn’t have any Espers like that…”
“Hmm…”
Baek Yeon-woo looked like he was about to say something else, but then shrugged it off.
Ho-eun thought of Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae. Thankfully, none of their fellow interns seemed to have gone through anything shady. Both Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae appeared to be getting along just fine with the Espers they’d worked with so far.
Actually, Ryu Yoon-jae was even showing some sparks with Kim Han-seul. Ho-eun concluded that his fellow interns were doing okay and nodded to himself.
***
Back at the dorm, Ho-eun was greeted by an unlit ceiling light and a pitch-dark apartment. Maybe Do In-ho’s training had run late? Shrugging it off, he quickly washed up and headed to the kitchen.
“Let’s see…”
He opened the fridge and stared into it, lost in thought. One downside of being stationed at the Incheon branch was the lack of food delivery options. Sure, there were plenty of shops inside the branch, but sometimes, you just wanted hot delivery food brought to your door—not takeout.
Thanks to that, Ho-eun’s cooking skills were steadily and forcibly improving day by day.
He grabbed some ingredients from the fridge, prepped them, and quickly threw together a decent fried rice. Just as he was boiling some beef radish soup, he heard the door lock beep, and Do In-ho walked in.
“Perfect timing—I was waiting for you!”
Ho-eun stepped out from the kitchen and greeted him. But Do In-ho just stood there by the door, not blinking, staring at him like he was possessed. Concerned, Ho-eun called his name.
“In-ho?”
It wasn’t until he heard his name that Do In-ho snapped out of it. He walked over and gently wrapped his arms around Ho-eun.
“You were waiting for me?”
“Huh? Of course. I wanted us to eat together.”
“……”
Do In-ho smiled faintly and placed a soft kiss on Ho-eun’s forehead. As Ho-eun naturally moved to wrap his arms around Do In-ho’s waist, Baek Yeon-woo’s words suddenly echoed in his mind.
The Guide watch on his left wrist changed screens the moment he made contact with Do In-ho, showing his current guiding levels. Even though he thought he’d filled it up completely that morning, it had dropped to 47%.
So… this is just him trying to top off his guiding level, huh.
Ho-eun’s arm hesitated mid-air, then slowly dropped to his side.
“…I’m curious what kind of training Espers do. Do they use their abilities like last time?”
Pulling away naturally after offering enough physical closeness, Ho-eun set the table as Do In-ho washed his hands.
“I’ve been studying how to use my ability more efficiently.”
“Studying… your ability?!”
“Yeah. I thought maybe there are other ways I could use fire…”
“Hmm. Yeah, I guess it makes sense to study your powers too.”
Do In-ho looked at Ho-eun with tender eyes as he chewed slowly. Then he asked, “What about you, hyung? What did you do today?”
“I did weapon testing today… Oh, right—why didn’t you tell me?”
“…Tell you what?”
“The Ability Product! You said you were going to make one for me.”
“You heard about that?”
“Of course I did! I also heard how much it puts the Esper through. I don’t need an Ability Product, you know.”
Ho-eun’s confident smile as he said it made him look just like a kid. That wide-eyed innocence of someone who didn’t know any better. Do In-ho shook his head.
“I’m the one who’s not okay.”
Normally, Do In-ho didn’t show much emotion on his face. After living together for a while, Ho-eun had gotten used to those subtle expressions, catching even the faintest shifts—but still, that didn’t amount to much.
That’s why he cherished those rare moments when Do In-ho wore his heart openly. The way his usually stiff lips curled into a smile or the way his eyes welled up with tears—those moments felt like something Ho-eun alone got to witness.
“I’m too weak to protect you properly. I wish you’d lean on me… but I guess someone as weak as me isn’t exactly reassuring.”
Their conversation after the Civil Complaints Division incident came to mind—how Do In-ho had cried on the way back, devastated that he couldn’t help.
“I just… want to do something for you.”
Ho-eun studied him closely, wondering if he might cry again. But this time, there were no tears.
“If I can’t save you, then at least… let me be of some help.”
Desperate longing clung to Do In-ho’s face like a second skin. What kind of expression was that, even? Ho-eun found himself so muddled, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“I’ll work hard to become someone you need, hyung. So… could you wait for me? Right now, I’m just making an Ability Product. But someday, I’ll… I’ll protect you. I won’t let you get hurt again—like last time.”
“But In-ho…”
Ho-eun quietly reached out and placed his hand over Do In-ho’s heart.
“I don’t want to hurt you either.”
He could feel the spot where a scar might remain through the fabric. Ho-eun then withdrew his hand and gave Do In-ho’s the softest pat.
Espers needed Guides—but did Guides need Espers in return? That was the question. And Ho-eun didn’t have an answer.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no clear reason. That’s why the way Do In-ho looked so anxious about being abandoned by his Guide… felt a little heartbreaking.
“It’s okay.”
If Do In-ho was feeling insecure about someone, it was undoubtedly Kwon Ho-eun, his Guide. Ho-eun smiled as if to say don’t worry.
As long as Do In-ho needed him, Kwon Ho-eun would stay by his side. Just until a Guide came along who matched better, had a higher resonance, and a better grade. So there was no need for Do In-ho to shorten his own life to make an Ability Product for someone who’d eventually leave.
“Besides, I got hurt because I was weak. But I’m training hard now, so don’t worry too much.”
Ho-eun guided Do In-ho’s hand to his thigh. Startled by the firmness of the muscle beneath, Do In-ho blinked, then slowly stroked his palm across it.
“If things get dangerous, I’ll just do the ol’ drop-everything-and-run maneuver!”
Ho-eun deliberately lightened his voice, steering the conversation away before it got too heavy.
Do In-ho ran his fingers along the inside of Ho-eun’s thigh, clearly reluctant to let the moment go.
“…So in the end, you don’t want to rely on someone like me.”
That gloomy whisper didn’t reach Ho-eun, who had already gotten up and walked away.
***
Like a dangerous game of tug-of-war, Ho-eun had been barely holding things together with Do In-ho. But finally, Saturday morning had arrived—a day he could truly call freedom.
Ever since that conversation with Baek Yeon-woo, Ho-eun had been oddly uncomfortable making eye contact with Do In-ho. He wanted to sort out his feelings and go back to treating Do In-ho the way he used to. But every day, In-ho would return with his guiding level below 30%, and even though Ho-eun wanted to keep his distance, their bodies were practically glued together out of necessity.
“I’m heading out.”
Even though it was Saturday, Do In-ho was dressed in a full suit for a final field inspection with Team Lead Nam Woon-soo. Ho-eun, still in his pajamas with bed hair, gave a groggy wave.
“What are you doing today?”
“Huh? I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“I’ll probably be back after six.”
“Okay. I’ll wait.”
Ho-eun was heading to a shoot at 11, and figured he’d finish long before Do In-ho. The script he’d received in advance had few lines and the segment was short. He figured it would be over in about three or four hours.
They could probably have dinner together.
“Alright. Be safe.”
Ho-eun waved until the door shut behind Do In-ho, then finally let out a long sigh of relief.
The days leading up to today had been nerve-wracking. The fear of getting caught in a lie had haunted every moment.
Even when he was pretending to be a job-seeking student to hide the fact that he was an unemployed YouTuber from his parents, it wasn’t this bad. But now it was official—there was no going back. And oddly enough, realizing that made him feel a little calmer.
At 11 o’clock, he arrived at the Incheon branch’s main gate, where Ryu Yoon-jae and Kim Se-hee greeted him warmly.
“Thanks for helping out with the shoot.”
“Oh, no problem! Honestly, I kinda enjoy stuff like this—I’m a low-key attention seeker.”
“I just want to use this opportunity to help promote the Guide Corporation instead of just tourism guides.”
“This time, I’ll make sure to treat you to something delicious—on my card, not the company’s!”
The three interns chatted cheerfully until a large vehicle pulled up by the roadside.
“…No way that’s our ride, right?”
“Huh? That’s a celeb van.”
“Whoa.”
Ho-eun stared in disbelief at the approaching white Carnival limousine. It was the kind of car only celebrities rode around in. Surely they wouldn’t use a ride like that just for three people?
He tried to nudge the others away from the street toward the sidewalk.
But the car came to a stop right in front of them, and the door slid open automatically.
The three of them exchanged looks and chuckled in disbelief.
“…Who the hell sends a limo to pick up three interns?”
Muttering under his breath, Ho-eun climbed in with the exhausted look of someone who had just witnessed another outrageous waste of association funds.
